We’re not the only ones prone to flooding
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has reminded residents that recent flooding and damage that resulted from tropical Storm Philippe is not unique to the BVI and is similar to challenges other countries are facing.
“I don’t want persons to see it outside of that context, like this is just the BVI that can’t get its act together over many years. I was just in New York and they had significant flooding like they never saw before,” Premier Wheatley said at a recent press conference.
He added that the damage the territory experienced from the recent storm was to be expected as there was an unusual amount of rain that impacted the community.
“You have to anticipate that with the amount of rain that fell, you’re gonna have some impacts and some damage. It’s not a regular event that we faced. It wasn’t the regular shower that passes every now and again,” Premier Wheatley said.
He said the major problem is climate change, which rich nations contribute to most and which overwhelmingly impacts small island states. The Premier said these rich nations should be called upon to assist small nations that need to protect themselves against the effects of climate change.
“We have a unique situation in the BVI because as a middle to high income country, we don’t qualify for a lot of the financing that others do so we are spreading the message that we need a much fairer way of assessing the need for climate finance and that help us to build resilience,” the Premier argued.
Tropical Storm Philippe dumped a significant amount of rainfall in the territory and damaged what was left of public infrastructure. This has left residents even more anxious to see significant repairs, something which was an issue for the government before the storm. The clean-up efforts are in high gear, but residents say that isn’t enough to restore the roadways and the drainage networks in a sustainable way.
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My advice to you Hon. Premier is that it’s best if you just shut your mouth! Because when you open it, all too often the Nation begins to weep!
VG, Anegada and the USVI didnt flood with the same rain so I guess the answer is poor drainage
New York had flooding “it never saw before” is the key part here.
When we flood, its always the same parts. Are there no changes that can be made? Someone can tell me otherwise but for now I find it hard to believe.
Enough with the smoke and mirrors and the bait and switch. The BVI has a significant flooding problem that while exacerbated by climate change, was in play LONG before climate change.
Lets not lose sight of the impact of poor ghut maintenance, filling of salt ponds, inadequate drainage generally, and especially in areas around reclaimed land. The concreting of the bottom of ghuts is also problematic as evidenced particularly in Purcell.
Climate change is real, but there is a LOT that can be done to alleviate some of the issues that we have. Stop pointing to the outside world for help that isn’t coming, and as a leader of Government deal with the issues that can be remedied.
I for one am getting tired of your pie in the sky rhetoric that lacks on the ground solutions.
Wherevin new york you went mehson. Ok accept you may see a little water on the road. Were any roads destroyed, were any trees felled, any schools flooded or any classes cancelled. Slow a$$ man if you spit on the road way it can create issues.
Why dis boy don’t go clean out the ghuts with that dum RATED programme and stop talking.
You got to be an a**
Your only concern should be to prevent the flooding in the BVI and cut the tit for tat childish crap about whether it is unique to us or not.
We got financing for fake grants, non stop jams and luxury trips all over the world tho.
A lot of crap about climate change . On April 19th 1969 we had 13 “ of rain in Roadtown in a few hours and all of Roadtown flooded .
I was told it was unprecidented. The difference was that Interbetton had just dredged up the whole of Wickhams Cay and all the water was trapped. Drains were designed but still 50 years later are still not working well enough but now we can blame climate .
Neither the USVI, VG or Anegada have the vast amount of land reclamation that Road Town has. Most of Road Town is manmade. Reclamation seemed like a good idea then, but we didn’t consider the volume of water coming down the ghuts from the steep hillsides. Road Town has become a collection bowl. We need to be real about what one man, even one Government can do. We need engineers that can restore waterways (not just ghuts) for the out flow and overflow even if some buildings have to come down. It’s not climate change and even if it was, we can’t wait for the climate to stop changing. We need now solutions. Tired of the old finger pointing.
The Premier needs to get rid of his childish mentality and get the issues plaguing the Territory resolved. Yapping about what happens to other countries does not in anyway quell the voices of concerns and neglect to the Territory. Enough of the nonsense talks, time overdue for action.
We’re not the only ones prone to flooding, but we are the only ones flooding, now go figure..
We are bot the only ones but perhaps we are the only ones who do not have a proactive plan for such a situation
Stop talking piddle what contingency plan do you have in motion for a disater of a enormous proportion
Sounds like a lame excuse. It happens in other places so it’s ok.